About Us

Sarah Cutler

Sarah Cutler is a freelance reporter and Stabile Investigative Fellow at Columbia Journalism School. She is returning to journalism after three years as a research analyst. She is interested in the intersection of religion and political ideology, including the process of radicalization. She received a BA in Near Eastern Studies and Government from Cornell University, where she spent a semester abroad in Amman, Jordan. She is proficient in Levantine Arabic and Spanish.

Natalie Demaree

Natalie Demaree is a multimedia journalist based in New York. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas in Journalism and Political Science with a specialization in African and African American Studies. Currently, Natalie covers Mormonism, immigration and education as a graduate student at Columbia Journalism School. She is fluent in Spanish and English and proficient in French.

Greg Dobak

Greg Dobak is a lawyer, entrepreneur and is currently a graduate student at the Columbia University School of Journalism. Greg is interested in covering technology in journalism, geo-politics and religion. Greg received his JD from Northeastern University School of Law and additionally holds degrees in political science, international relations and psychology.

Laura Esposito

Laura Esposito is a New-York based journalist; her work has been featured in publications such as City & State, Columbia News Service and The Sandpaper. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rutgers University in Journalism and Media Studies, Creative Writing and a specialization in Global Media. Currently, she is a graduate student at Columbia Journalism School, covering Ahmadi Muslims and social issues. You can keep up with Laura’s stories by following her on twitter – @LauraEspositoM.

Sherry Fernandes

Sherry Fernandes is a New York based journalist and graduated with a B.A. in Journalism from St. Xavier’s College in Goa, India, her hometown. She is currently specializing in investigative journalism at Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, she worked as a reporter for The Times of India and is interested in investigating human rights abuses. In her free time, she is a wildlife rescuer and enjoys hiking.

Ania Gruszczyńska

Ania Gruszczyńska is a journalist and documentary filmmaker. She is a graduate student at the Columbia University School of Journalism, with a BA in political philosophy from King’s College London. She is interested in the intersection of religion, mental health, and psychedelic drugs. She is fluent in Polish and English and proficient in French.

Nevin Kallepalli

Nevin Kallepalli is a New York–based writer and video editor. He graduated from the School of Arts and Architecture at the University of California, Los Angeles, and has worked at various art institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. He is interested in long form narrative journalism. 

Henrietta McFarlane

Henrietta McFarlane is a New York-based journalist originally from the UK. She is a masters student at the Columbia University School of Journalism, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge. Henrietta covered global news as an intern for Impakter magazine. She currently covers Sephardic Judaism.

Anvita Patwardhan

Born and raised in the California Bay Area, Anvita Patwardhan is an alumna of U.C. Berkeley, where she received her B.A. degree in English. She worked as a legal assistant in the San Francisco Financial District before attending Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, where she hopes to pursue longform narrative print journalism and data journalism with a focus on policy and social justice.

Heerea Rikhraj

Heerea Rikhraj is a New York based journalist from Canada and Singapore. She is specializing in multimedia at Columbia Journalism School. She received a B.A. in Political Science and International Relations with a minor in Psychology from the University of Toronto. She previously worked in social entrepreneurship, education and consulting, where she helped non-profit organizations scale their services. She hopes to cover trauma, race and health in her reporting. She is proficient in French and Punjabi.

Babette Stolk

Babette Stolk is a New York-based journalist originally from the Netherlands and Germany. She graduated from the University of Amsterdam with two degrees in English Literature and Political Science. Currently, Babette is a graduate student at Columbia’s Journalism School. She is interested in the intersection of religion, identity, and politics.

Noelle Videon

Noelle Videon is a journalist currently based in New York City, originally from Colorado. She graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder where she studied Journalism, Political Science and Peace and Conflict Studies. She hopes to focus on international news, specifically throughout Northern Africa and the Middle East. Her topics of interest include human rights, politics and culture.

Kelly Waldron

Kelly Waldron is a New York-based journalist, currently pursuing the Data Journalism program at the Columbia University School of Journalism. Previously, she worked in satellite operations for GHGSat, a remote sensing company based in Montreal. She holds a degree in Geography from McGill University and is fluent in French and proficient in Spanish. 

Nora Zaim-Sassi

Nora Zaim-Sassi is a New York-based journalist and co-builder of the startup nonprofit, Vision Education Foundation, which helps remove barriers to child education in Nepal. She graduated from Boston College, with degrees in international studies with a concentration in ethics and social justice, and in journalism and Hispanic studies. Nora is fluent in Darija, a dialect of Arabic, English and Spanish.

Hanna Nebiyu Vioque

Hanna Nebiyu Vioque is a multimedia journalist based in New York. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Nottingham. Previously, she worked for The Economist, reporting internationally on topics as varied as sex education in Uganda and the Havana syndrome. Originally from Spain and Ethiopia, she was raised in Kuwait, Kenya and the U.S, developing a passion for human rights and foreign affairs. Hanna is interested in covering the intersections of law, culture, race and religion. 

Ari L. Goldman

Professor Ari L. Goldman, a former religion correspondent for The New York Times, has been teaching the “Covering Religion” seminar at Columbia Journalism since 1993. This year’s study-tour is the 20th he’s led with Columbia students. In past years, the class has gone to Russia and Ukraine, Ireland and Northern Ireland, India and Italy. Professor Goldman was born in Hartford, Conn., and was educated at Yeshiva University, Columbia and Harvard.  He is the author of four books, including the best-selling The Search for God at Harvard.

Gregory Khalil

Gregory Khalil is the co-founder and President of Telos, a Washington D.C.-based non-profit that equips American leaders and their communities to better engage seemingly intractable conflict. Much of Telos’ work has centered on the role of faith leaders and culture shapers in  America’s relationship to Israel/Palestine and the broader Middle East. Prior to founding Telos, Greg was a legal and communications adviser to Palestinian leaders on peace negotiations with Israel. Greg is also a founding member and chair of the board of directors of Narrative 4, a global non-profit that seeks to use story and media to cultivate empathy across divides. He has lectured internationally and his writing has appeared in The New York Times and The Review of Faith & International Affairs. Greg is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and Yale Law School. He co-teaches “Covering Religion” with Professor Ari Goldman.

Melanie Huff

Melanie Huff is the Senior Associate Dean of Students at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. This is her fifth time accompanying the Covering Religion class on its annual study tour. She has been to India, Ireland, Jordan, Israel and Palestine with the class.  Dean Huff has degrees from Barnard College and Teachers College, both of Columbia University.

Liz Donovan

Teaching assistant Liz Donovan is an investigative reporter whose work has been featured in The New York Times, the Intercept, THE CITY, Type Investigations and AFP. She currently works as an investigative researcher for The New Yorker staff writer Ronan Farrow. She previously reported on climate at NYC outlet City Limits and on immigration and gender for Columbia’s Global Migration Project, and has taught writing and editing at the School of The New York Times. She has master’s degrees from Columbia Journalism School and Sciences Po in Paris, France. Twitter: @LizDonov.